Boy!! oh! Boy!!!

I have written about how I used to get annoyed/amused at how people used to be surprised that I was conversant in English when I was back in the US.

Now, I am facing the reverse of that! There are people who come up and tell me now; “oh your English is good because you were in the US for a while!” No matter how much I tell them that all I did was cook & clean all those years, they seem to stick to their idea!

Another thing; I was told I have an American accent at times. Now, I don’t know if I really have one or whether others perceive that ….like how they think I learnt my english back in the US?!?!

Inflation, Indian Middle Class & George Bush!

I am not really a very politcally active person - don’t really have strong view points, I just enforce my franchise (waiting on my voter’s ID now ) but…this!!!! I don’t see this as being political even…Is it just another of Mr.Bush’s gaffes??

George Bush on Indian Middle class consumption - I was pretty much outraged by this remark … Actually I also found it pretty ridiculous.

I understand that world economy is all interlinked etc.., am not much of an economist or anything close to it…Still one can just not hear something like this from a world leader!!!

Inflation is high in India too….hope there is no slugfest with leaders blaming the US for something!?! Though I guess we should expect that pretty soon?!?

Typical thought that comes to me :)

I have lot of friends and many are really close to me and I treasure each one of them. So, when somebody asks me about my best friend, there are times I am flummoxed!!! I cannot choose just one among quite the number I hold close to my heart. I also wonder when people give a long list when asked about their best friend.

Wonder whether when it comes to friendship, the term “superlative” loses its meaning…or may be the word “best” is just superlative in term…not really the one or the only one?!? So when someone gives a list of friends as being the best - is it because they are the best among the group of friends??

I just end up saying a “really close friend” instead of using the term “best friend” Maybe I am being too bothered by grammar?!? Setback of havng a literature major as a mother I suppose

This thought might sound utterly stupid (like many others!! )…but still felt I should pen it down.

Scrabble and thought process!!!

Ok here goes…this is how bizarre my thought process is. Was playing Scrabble with my best friend (who happens to be really good at the game!) I started the game and my letters were UIBAALP…Was trying to put all the letters on…and the only word I could come up with was ‘ABULIA’. Now don’t really know how that hit my brain at that point of time…but this is what it means….”Loss or impairment of the ability to make decisions or act independently. ” Was telling my friend I probably suffer from it She answered I was delusional. I told her I was told that I suffer from another psychiatric disorder by another who had read quite a few books on the disorder. This led to my friend telling me she has read so many books on assassinations that does not make her an expert on the matter!

This led me thinking….how we sometimes tend to read some books , or watch TV on some disease and many a times, decide we suffer from the disease!!! Was told by a friend who is a doctor that when they were students, thought they suffered from each and every disease they were studying about! At the time I heard this, I found it ridiculous!!

Just thought how weird one’s thought process can lead to really bizarre and mostly stupid conclusions. One thing though… feel nobody is perfect…it is the degree that differs in each

Now another thought I had today was overwhelming. I am so pleased that I am grinning ear to ear since I saw that two of my friends have given this to me - A-kay & Laksh.

I thank them both for making my day. Give it right back to them. I also give this to Raaga, Swaminathan , Yogs, LG, Usha, Sangi, Gokul, Kurinji, Anand, GKa, Karthik, Nana, Prasanna,…quite a few non-bloggers (list is kinda long….but lately some of them have been really nice to me and some have been the nicest people ever since I got to know them!)

Thanks a lot for being in my life and being more than nice to me.

Does it matter?

I have purchased a bike. Paid the money on a day when the star is “barani” and will be receiving the delivery on “ashtami”. Both days are supposedly inauspicious according to traditions. In accordance, nothing new is ventured upon on those days and a few other days (even some lunar months).
Now that I have done this now…how will it affect anyone? When my mother pointed these days out to me, I was telling her that today is yesterday in some part of the world and tomorrow in another….so, how does it matter??? Am I justifying myself that well…I have done it, maybe I should have checked up?!
Don’t really know…does anyone know what is in store? I certainly don’t and should say did not! Have been told to face life as it has been thrown to me; just accept it and move on. So, I should just take it as it comes with my new vehicle too, right?

When will I learn?!

When will I learn not to share everything in life to everyone? When will I learn that everyone has one’s opinions and each is right in one’s domain? When will I learn that another person will never stop advising you when you are down and out…and expect you to actually accept what they say without a counter-argument?
When will I learn that honesty is not the way to go in this world!?
When will I learn to be cunning (which I have learnt is the way to be to succeed or atleast appear successful!!! )?
When will I learn not to get hurt by other’s opinions and more tha that wallow in that hurt? When will I learn to deal with people the “right” way??
“Katradhu kai mann alavu, kaladadhu ulagalavu” translated means what one has learnt is just about a fistful of sand, what one has yet to learn is as vast as the universe…
I know I have a lot to learn…but I always felt that my principles in life were alright…honesty being one of them.Guess that I am on the other extreme when it comes to honesty. I should atleast learn to sugar coat my thoughts before-hand I suppose.
When will I learn?!!

Beatuty - Skin deep?!

Today’s discussion on India 60 minutes on NDTV was whether India was getting obsessive and spending too much on beauty? They interviewed school and college kids. Statistics shown were that school kids spend Rs 2500 a month upto 30K per year on beauty!!! Just reminded me of the time I cam home after cutting my hair short (above my shoulder) with a front fringe. It cost me Rs 50 if I remember right…my mother freaked out..so freaked that she called my father who was working abroad to notify him about what his daughter did!! I was in Class XII then! I still think twice before going for a shorter cut
Boy!! have times changed!! Parents are paying for this extravagance and supporting the kids! They say that it is not crossing the line. Is it that people are willing to spend more or am I becoming like my mother who freaked when she saw my short cut??
Being well groomed and going overboard are two different things. People cannot justify extravagance saying they are doing all this for being well groomed. Hair straightening when in middle or high school for no reason??? The kids are so brand conscious. I did know about the brands but did not bother to spend my parents money on those to wear to college on a daily basis. I did splurge for birthdays or other occasions and there were people who said that I should not even do that (not my family )
I still don’t wear make-up on a daily basis and am amazed at women who came to my gym with make-up for a work out!! May be I am one of those people who is termed as ugly?!?
Well that is my two cents on this!

Opinions aplenty!

Well, the title goes for anything and everything. This entry though is about traditional beliefs…I recently read about someone who was disillusioned in the whole kolu for Navrathri and was talking about politely refusing invites to the same.
This made me think of many of the traditions that we have that are slowly disappearing. Kolu is to pray to the Goddesses…the slokas/pujas happen in the morning; while evening is a means to socialising. People coming home for sundal, singing songs and chatting to catch up. Coming back home to compare the taste of one sundal from another, enjoying some rare songs that one gets to hear or encourage the learners who use this as a practice session. Just the decorations are a challenge to the artist in each person. Most of the dolls in each house might be repetitions; but not how they arrange them…themes are big things. Yes, there are those who do all for show…but in this case; it is one festival where it is permissible :)Well, atleast one can come home and talk about those that are so artificial too right? A topic for conversation at home.
When one thinks about traditions, one can realise how each one has some thought into it…for example, the margazhi tradition of waking up early to put the kolam is to get the laziness out. One would love to snuggle up under sheets and sleep in the colder weather. Making seedai for Krishnashtami is to have something crunchy when it is generally raining outside; or neer more for Ramanavami which is in summer!
Accepted that there are some which are outdated in this age…like don’t stitch after sun down. That was to avoid strain to the eyes when the lights are out and is outdated now thanks to electricity…Probably there are many more that can be listed.
One should see the merits and demerits of each and take what appears right instead of writing off all saying it is being old fashioned or to say that you are disillusioned. For my part, I try follow traditions as much as I can and hope I can transfer this thought to my son too!
Well that is my take on this….of course opinions aplenty!

My first written headtrip :)

As I sit here in front of my machine, I was wondering what makes us want so much to be acceptable to all around us! Wny should I justify my opinions if they happen to differ from a friend’s? Why does one feel offended if the other person does not accept/acknowledge one’s point of view? We talk about the world being diverse and that being the beauty of it…but when it comes to something, we want all to be on the same page. To be honest, I am as guilty of it as I am a victim of this. I guess as long as we can debate it out without carrying it along, it is fine. My peeve is that people carry it too far. Just when you don’t expect it, you are blamed for something you said (might not remember you did!) long after you did! Maybe it is just me. Maybe I tend to be too forceful with my opinion and stand by them. I am also a person who accepts when I am wrong. What irks me is why don’t people see that side of me? They just see me as a person who is headstrong. I guess I am back to the question of why do we crave to be accepted by all! Well someday I hope each of us is comfortable with ourselves and others around us.